Characteristics of Age-Discordant Partnerships Associated with HIV Risk among Young South African Women (HPTN 068)

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Citation

Ritchwood, Tiarney D.; Hughes, James P.; Jennings Mayo-Wilson, Larissa; MacPhail, Catherine Lorne; Williamson, Brian; Selin, Amanda M.; Kahn, Kathleen; Gómez-Olivé, F. Xavier; & Pettifor, Audrey E. (2016). Characteristics of Age-Discordant Partnerships Associated with HIV Risk among Young South African Women (HPTN 068). Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 72(4), 423-429. PMCID: PMC4925181

Abstract

Objective: Sexual liaisons between older men and younger women have been linked to greater risk of HIV acquisition. This study aims to: 1) identify psychosocial and behavioral factors associated with age-discordant (partner >= 5 years older) versus age-concordant partnerships (-1Methods: We used generalized estimating equations to analyze responses from 656 sexually-experienced females (aged 13-20 years) from rural Mpumalanga province.
Results: Partner age discordance was associated with greater odds of reporting both more frequent sex (adjusted odd ratio [aOR] = 1.77, 95% CI 1.20-2.60) and having a partner with concurrent partnerships (aOR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.22-2.57). Age-discordant partnerships were associated with greater odds of: casual partnerships (aOR 1.50, 95% CI 1.06-2.13), having a partner with concurrent partnerships (aOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.19-2.46) and more frequent intercourse (i.e., having sex at least 2 or 3 times per month) (aOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.39-3.00). They were associated with lower odds of reporting condom use at last sex (aOR 0.70, 95% CI 0.50-0.98) and always using condoms (aOR 0.53, 95% CI 0.32-0.88) in age-discordant partnerships.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that a history of age-discordant partnerships, and to a lesser extent having an age-discordant partner, is linked to HIV risk among young South African women; however, the link between partner age discordance and HIV risk may be more strongly related to the characteristics of age-discordant partnerships than to characteristics of young women who form such partnerships.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/qai.0000000000000988

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2016

Journal Title

Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes

Author(s)

Ritchwood, Tiarney D.
Hughes, James P.
Jennings Mayo-Wilson, Larissa
MacPhail, Catherine Lorne
Williamson, Brian
Selin, Amanda M.
Kahn, Kathleen
Gómez-Olivé, F. Xavier
Pettifor, Audrey E.

PMCID

PMC4925181

Data Set/Study

HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN)

Continent/Country

South Africa

ORCiD

Pettifor - 0000-0002-3387-0817
Mayo-Wilson - 0000-0001-9349-2283